115-639: Dawlish Water is a minor coastal stream which flows through Devon , England . Dawlish Water, also known as “The Brook”, rises on the eastern slopes of Haldon Forest in the Haldon Hills by the A380 road and the B3192, (largely heathland and conifer forest), in the Mamhead Obelisk plantation and then flows southeast through Ashcombe , Dawlish Water (Hamlet) and on to Dawlish town, flowing over
230-496: A tertiary college in Barnstaple. In 2012, 58 per cent of Devon students achieved 5 GCSEs grade A* to C. The UK average is 59 per cent. Petroc (formerly North Devon College ) is a tertiary college offering a wide range of vocational and academic further education to more than 3,000 young people over 16. It was due to spend £100 million on a new campus to be opened on Seven Brethren in 2011, but this fell through when
345-484: A charter of incorporation from Mary I in 1557. The council built the Guildhall on High Street in 1828 to serve as its meeting place. It was reformed to become a municipal borough in 1836, governed by a corporate body officially called the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Barnstaple", but generally known as the corporation or town council. The borough boundaries, which had previously been identical to
460-659: A conservation area near the River Taw, hundreds of new homes, a retail area of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. By far the largest employer in the region is local and central government, particularly the Royal Marines Base Chivenor , 3 miles (5 km) west of the town, and North Devon District Hospital , 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north. In 2005 unemployment in North Devon was 1.8–2.4 per cent, while median per capita wage for North Devon
575-529: A ditch outside the town walls. The area of medieval shipbuilding and repair is still called The Strand, an early word for shore. Barnstaple has cool wet winters and mild wet summers. Mean high temperatures range from 9 C (48 F) in January to 21 C (70 F) in July. The record high is 34 C (94 F) and the record low −9 C (16 F). October is the wettest month with 103 mm (4.1 in) of rain. The mean annual rainfall
690-472: A further grant of crest and supporters was obtained. The crest is the head of a Dartmoor Pony rising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with the Royal Navy . The supporters are a Devon bull and a sea lion. Devon County Council adopted a "ship silhouette" logo after the 1974 reorganisation, adapted from the ship emblem on
805-421: A guild which appointed a mayor. The claim in 1340 was made as part of a petition to Edward III seeking a new charter with additional powers. This was resisted by the lord of the feudal barony of Barnstaple . Following an inquisition ad quod damnum it was ruled that the town was in fact a lower status mesne borough answerable to the lord, rather than a free borough responsible directly to the monarch. The mayor
920-462: A high glass and timber roof on iron columns. The name is first recorded in the 10th century and is thought to derive from the Early English bearde , meaning "battle-axe", and stapol , meaning "pillar", i.e. a post or pillar to mark a religious or administrative meeting place. The derivation from staple meaning "market", indicating a market from its foundation, is likely to be incorrect, as
1035-626: A large part in the religious life of Devon today, although the county has shared in the post-World War II decline in British religious feeling. The Diocese of Exeter remains the Anglican diocese including the whole of Devon. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Plymouth was established in the mid 19th century. There was no established coat of arms for the county until 1926: the arms of the City of Exeter were often used to represent Devon, for instance in
1150-528: A need removed when travelling time to the M5 motorway was roughly halved. With Barnstaple as the main shopping area for North Devon, retail work contributes to the economy. There are chain stores in the town centre and in the Roundswell Business Park, on the western fringe of the town. Multi-million pound redevelopment round the former Leaderflush Shapland works at Anchorwood Bank is creating
1265-445: A notable broach spire , claimed by W. G. Hoskins to be the best of its kind in the country. Inside the church are many mural monuments to 17th-century merchants, such as Raleigh Clapham (died 1636), George Peard (died 1644) and Thomas Horwood (died 1658), reflecting the prosperity of the town at that time. The interior of the church was heavily restored by George Gilbert Scott from 1866, and then by his son John Oldrid Scott into
SECTION 10
#17327805148621380-763: A payment from the Corporation of Barnstaple in 1630 for "riding to Exeter about the Spanish Company." in St Peter's Church, and on the decorated plaster ceiling of the old Golden Lion Inn , Boutport Street, now a restaurant beside the Royal and Fortescue Hotel. The town benefited from rising trade with America in the 16th and 17th centuries, for the benefit of wealthy merchants who built impressive town houses. Some of these survive behind more recent frontages, for instance No. 62 Boutport Street, said to have one of
1495-574: A result of some reintroductions. Another recent reintroduction is the Eurasian beaver , primarily on the river Otter. Other rare species recorded in Devon include seahorses and the sea daffodil. The botany of the county is very diverse and includes some rare species not found elsewhere in the British Isles other than Cornwall. Devon is divided into two Watsonian vice-counties : north and south,
1610-606: A series of weirs , then through the centre of the town, under the A379 road and the London-Penzance railway line, by Dawlish railway station , before terminating in the English Channel . The urban part of Dawlish Water is prone to flooding in certain situations, particularly with winds between south and east, when moisture-laden air is forced up the slopes of Haldon Hill , where it then condenses and precipitates. It
1725-477: A site in Brighton , Sussex. A lasting effect on the town has been the development and expansion of industrial estates at Seven Brethren, Whiddon Valley and Pottington. Whilst the 1989 opening of the improved A361 connection to the motorway network assisted trade in ways such as weekend tourism, it was detrimental to some distribution businesses. These had previously seen the town as a base for local distribution,
1840-615: A soft, sooty coal, which is known in Devon as culm , or from the contortions commonly found in the beds. This formation stretches from Bideford to Bude in Cornwall, and contributes to a gentler, greener, more rounded landscape. It is also found on the western, north and eastern borders of Dartmoor. The sedimentary rocks in more eastern parts of the county include Permian and Triassic sandstones (giving rise to east Devon's well known fertile red soils); Bunter pebble beds around Budleigh Salterton and Woodbury Common and Jurassic rocks in
1955-563: A summary of the Pannier Market: "Largely unchanged in over 150 years, Barnstaple's historic Pannier Market has a wide range of stalls, with everything from fresh local produce, flowers and crafts, to prints and pictures, fashion and... two cafés." The Pannier Market, Butchers Row, has been a Grade II listed building since 1951. In Barnstaple Around Barnstaple In 1989, the A361 North Devon Link Road
2070-548: A supporter of his. In the 12th century, stone buildings were built over the motte, possibly during Henry de Tracy's tenure. The castle descended through his family to another Henry de Tracy, who held the castle in 1228 when Henry III ordered the Sheriff of Devon to make sure its walls did not exceed 10 feet (3.0 m) in height. By the death of the last Henry de Tracey in 1274, the castle had begun to decay. An inquisition of 1281 found that building materials had been removed from
2185-615: A varied geography. It contains Dartmoor and part of Exmoor , two upland moors which are the source of most of the county's rivers, including the Taw , Dart , and Exe . The longest river in the county is the Tamar , which forms most of the border with Cornwall and rises in Devon's northwest hills. The southeast coast is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site , and characterised by tall cliffs which reveal
2300-472: Is -combe which derives from Brittonic cwm meaning 'valley' usually prefixed by the name of the possessor. William Camden , in his 1607 edition of Britannia , described Devon as being one part of an older, wider country that once included Cornwall : THAT region which, according to the Geographers, is the first of all Britaine, and, growing straiter still and narrower, shooteth out farthest into
2415-792: Is Exeter Airport . Barnstaple railway station is the terminus of a branch line from Exeter known as the Tarka Line after a local connection with Tarka the Otter . The station is near the end of the Long Bridge, on the opposite bank of the Taw to the town centre. Several other stations closed with the publication of the Reshaping of British Railways (the Beeching Axe) report in the 1960s. The surviving one had been opened on 1 August 1854 by
SECTION 20
#17327805148622530-499: Is 862 mm (33.9 in), with rain on 138 days. Barnstaple parish population in the 1801 census was 3,748, in 1901 9,698, and in 2001 22,497. In 2011 the racial make-up was: As a major town, Barnstaple has a similar ethnic make-up to other south-west towns such as Truro and Cullompton . It is more diverse than the North Devon district (95.9% White British ) and Devon as a whole (94.2% White British). North Devon
2645-586: Is a ceremonial county in South West England . It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town . The county has an area of 2,590 sq mi (6,700 km ) and a population of 1,194,166. The largest settlements after Plymouth (264,695) are
2760-479: Is a county bird society dedicated to the study and conservation of wild birds. The RSPB has reserves in the county, and Natural England is responsible for over 200 Devon Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves , such as Slapton Ley . The Devon Bat Group was founded in 1984 to help conserve bats. Wildlife found in this area extend to a plethora of different kinds of insects, butterflies and moths; an interesting butterfly to take look at
2875-592: Is a historical name, which was revived in the Victorian era in several novels. It remains in the names of a football team, a brewery and several businesses, and on numerous milestones. The former Brannam Pottery in Litchdon Street was known for its trademark "Barum" etched on the base of its products. The earliest local settlement was probably at Pilton by the River Yeo , now a northern suburb. Pilton
2990-477: Is a relatively quick-response watercourse, so is susceptible to intense rainstorms, however river levels tend to fall fairly swiftly afterwards. Dawlish Water has 15 minor tributaries, coming off Luscombe Hill and the hill by the Langdon Plantation. The only major tributary is Brown’s Brook, which is approximately 3km long and comes from Lidwell Chapel, in turn located on Little Haldon. Water quality
3105-496: Is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon , England. The town lies at the River Taw 's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel . From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from which it earned great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, but its harbour silted up and other trades developed such as shipbuilding, foundries and sawmills. A Victorian market building survives, with
3220-471: Is a wide range of wildlife (see Dartmoor wildlife , for example). A popular challenge among birders is to find over 100 species in the county in a day. The county's wildlife is protected by several wildlife charities such as the Devon Wildlife Trust , which looks after 40 nature reserves. The Devon Bird Watching and Preservation Society (founded in 1928 and known since 2005 as "Devon Birds")
3335-464: Is also of interest, as is the Pannier Market beneath it. The museum has an "arts and crafts" appearance with tessellated floors and locally made staircase and decorative fireplaces. Barnstaple Castle, founded in the 11th or 12th century and first mentioned the 12th century, may derive from Juhel (Joel) of Totnes in the early 12th century. King Stephen granted the castle to Henry de Tracy,
3450-650: Is due to a mistake in the making of the original letters patent for the Duke of Devonshire , resident in Derbyshire . There are references to both Defnas and Defenasċīre in Anglo-Saxon texts from before 1000 CE (the former is a name for the "people of Devon" and the latter would mean 'Shire of the Devonians'), which translates to modern English as Devonshire . The term Devonshire may have originated around
3565-546: Is lined with tourist resorts, many of which grew rapidly with the arrival of the railways in the 19th century. Examples include Dawlish, Exmouth and Sidmouth on the south coast, and Ilfracombe and Lynmouth on the north. The Torbay conurbation of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham on the south coast is now administratively independent of the county. Rural market towns in the county include Barnstaple, Bideford, Honiton , Newton Abbot , Okehampton , Tavistock , Totnes and Tiverton . The boundary with Cornwall has not always been on
Dawlish Water - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-660: Is recorded in the Burghal Hidage (c. 917) as a burh founded by Alfred the Great , and may have undergone a Viking attack in 893, but by the later 10th-century Barnstaple had taken over its local defence. It had a mint before the Norman Conquest. The feudal barony of Barnstaple had its caput at Barnstaple Castle , granted by William the Conqueror to Geoffrey de Montbray , who appears as its holder in
3795-514: Is relatively uncommon away from high land, although there are few exceptions. The county has mild summers with occasional warm spells and cool rainy periods. Winters are generally cool and the county often experiences some of the mildest winters in the world for its high latitude, with average daily maximum temperatures in January at 8 °C (46 °F). Rainfall varies significantly across the county, ranging from over 2,000 mm (79 in) on parts of Dartmoor, to around 750 mm (30 in) in
3910-501: Is some distance from Britain's traditional areas of industrial activity and population. In the late 1970s it gained several industrial firms due to the availability of central government grants for opening factories and operating them on low or zero levels of local taxation. This was scarcely successful, with few lasting beyond the few years that grants were available. One success was the manufacturing of generic medicines by Cox Pharmaceuticals (now branded Allergan ), which moved in 1980 from
4025-470: Is sometimes affected after heavy rainfall due to upstream farm effluent, and combined sewer outfalls in the river as it passes through the town. This in turn can affect the bathing water quality on the beach immediately next to the river, after heavy rain. Several initiatives have improved the situation recently, with the EA liaising with local farmers and water companies to improve water quality. The water level of
4140-455: Is the chequered skipper . Devon is a national hotspot for several species that are uncommon in Britain, including the cirl bunting ; greater horseshoe bat ; Bechstein's bat and Jersey tiger moth . It is also the only place in mainland Britain where the sand crocus ( Romulea columnae ) can be found – at Dawlish Warren, and is home to all six British native land reptile species, partly as
4255-561: Is the 218 m (715 ft) Little Hangman, which marks the western edge of coastal Exmoor. One of the features of the North Devon coast is that Bideford Bay and the Hartland Point peninsula are both west-facing, Atlantic facing coastlines; so that a combination of an off-shore (east) wind and an Atlantic swell produce excellent surfing conditions. The beaches of Bideford Bay ( Woolacombe , Saunton , Westward Ho! and Croyde ), along with parts of North Cornwall and South Wales, are
4370-405: Is the city of Exeter. The largest city in Devon, Plymouth, and the conurbation of Torbay (which includes the largest town in Devon and capital of Torbay, Torquay, as well as Paignton and Brixham) have been unitary authorities since 1998, separate from the remainder of Devon which is administered by Devon County Council for the purposes of local government. Devon County Council is controlled by
4485-649: The Borough of Barnstaple had two members in the House of Commons until 1885, when this was reduced to one. The constituency was replaced for the 1950 general election by the large modern constituency of North Devon , held by Nick Harvey MP of the Liberal Democrats from 1992 until 2015, when Peter Heaton-Jones of the Conservative Party was elected and re-elected in 2017. Between 2019 and 2024
4600-525: The Bristol Channel . On the north side, the Taw is joined by the River Yeo, which rises on Berry Down near Combe Martin . Most of the town lies on the east bank of the estuary, connected to the west by the ancient Barnstaple Long Bridge , with 16 arches. The town's early medieval layout still appears from the street plan and street names, with Boutport Street ("About the Port") following the curved line of
4715-457: The College of Arms . The main part of the shield displays a red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall . The chief or upper portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on wavers, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin motto adopted was Auxilio Divino (by Divine aid), that of Sir Francis Drake . The 1926 grant was of arms alone. On 6 March 1962
Dawlish Water - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-688: The Devonian strata of north Devon and south west Devon (and extending into Cornwall); ii) the Culm Measures (north western Devon also extending into north Cornwall); and iii) the granite intrusion of Dartmoor in central Devon, part of the Cornubian batholith forming the 'spine' of the southwestern peninsula. There are blocks of Silurian and Ordovician rocks within Devonian strata on the south Devon coast but otherwise no pre-Devonian rocks on
4945-488: The Glorious Revolution of 1688 took place at Brixham . Devon has produced tin , copper and other metals from ancient times. Devon's tin miners enjoyed a substantial degree of independence through Devon's Stannary Convocation , which dates back to the 12th century. The last recorded sitting was in 1748. Devon straddles a peninsula and so, uniquely among English counties, has two separate coastlines: on
5060-528: The Guildhall on High Street and has its offices at Barum House on The Square. Barnstaple was an ancient borough . Its early status as a borough was ambiguous; in 1340 the town's guild claimed it had been incorporated in 930 by King Athelstan in a charter which had since been lost. The town was described as a borough in the Domesday Book of 1086, and from at least 1210 the town was being run by
5175-585: The Learning and Skills Council withdrew £75 million in funding in January 2009. Petroc was launched in September 2009, a year after NDC merged with Tiverton's East Devon College . St Peter's Church is the parish church of Barnstaple. Its oldest parts probably date to the 13th century, though the nave, chancel and tower date from 1318, when three altars were dedicated by Bishop Stapledon . The north and south aisles were added in about 1670. The church has
5290-527: The North Devon Railway (later the London and South Western Railway ), although a service had operated from Fremington since 1848 for goods traffic only. The station became "Barnstaple Junction" on 20 July 1874, when the railway opened the branch line to Ilfracombe , reverting to plain "Barnstaple" when this was closed on 5 October 1970. It is now a terminus and much reduced in size, as part of
5405-909: The Order of Brothelyngham —a fake monastic order of 1348 — regularly rode through Exeter, kidnapping both religious men and laymen, and extorting money from them as ransom. Devon has also featured in most of the civil conflicts in England since the Norman conquest , including the Wars of the Roses , Perkin Warbeck 's rising in 1497, the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549, and the English Civil War . The arrival of William of Orange to launch
5520-591: The Prayer Book Rebellion caused the deaths of thousands of people from Devon and Cornwall. During the English Reformation , churches in Devon officially became affiliated with the Church of England . From the late sixteenth century onwards, zealous Protestantism – or 'puritanism' – became increasingly well-entrenched in some parts of Devon, while other districts of the county remained much more conservative. These divisions would become starkly apparent during
5635-565: The Triassic , Jurassic and Cretaceous geology of the region. The county gives its name to the Devonian geologic period, which includes the slates and sandstones of the north coast. Dartmoor and Exmoor have been designated national parks , and the county also contains, in whole or in part, five national landscapes . In the Iron Age , Roman and the Sub-Roman periods, the county was
5750-573: The rain shadow along the coast in southeastern Devon and around Exeter. Sunshine amounts also vary widely: the moors are generally cloudy, but the SE coast from Salcombe to Exmouth is one of the sunniest parts of the UK (a generally cloudy region). With westerly or south-westerly winds and high pressure the area around Torbay and Teignmouth will often be warm, with long sunny spells due to shelter by high ground ( Foehn wind ). The variety of habitats means that there
5865-484: The "Deep Valley Dwellers". The region to the west of Exeter was less Romanised than the rest of Roman Britain since it was considered a remote part of the province. After the formal Roman withdrawal from Britain in AD 410, one of the leading Dumnonii families attempted to create a dynasty and rule over Devon as the new Kings of Dumnonii. Celtic paganism and Roman practices were the first known religions in Devon, although in
SECTION 50
#17327805148625980-615: The 1086 Domesday Book . The barony fell to the Crown in 1095 after Montbray rebelled against William II . He transferred the barony to Juhel de Totnes , a feudal baron of Totnes . By 1107 Juhel had founded Totnes Priory and then Barnstaple Priory , of the Cluniac order , dedicated to St Mary Magdalene . After Juhel's son died intestate, the barony was split between the de Braose and Tracy families, before reuniting under Henry de Tracy. It then passed through several families, before ending in
6095-406: The 1880s, leaving it "dark and dull", according to Hoskins. Other religious buildings include St Anne's Chapel (a 14th-century chantry chapel , now a museum) in the parish churchyard. The Church of St Mary the Virgin in the suburb of Pilton is 13th-century and a Grade I listed building; Holy Trinity , built in the 1840s but necessarily rebuilt in 1867 as its foundations were unsound. It has
6210-405: The 8th century, when it changed from Dumnonia ( Latin ) to Defenasċīr . Kents Cavern in Torquay had produced human remains from 30 to 40,000 years ago. Dartmoor is thought to have been occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherer peoples from about 6000 BC. The Romans held the area under military occupation for around 350 years. Later, the area began to experience Saxon incursions from
6325-491: The Bristol Channel and Celtic Sea in the north, and on the English Channel in the south. The South West Coast Path runs along the entire length of both, around 65% of which is named as Heritage Coast . Before the changes to English counties in 1974, Devon was the third largest county by area and the largest of the counties not divided into county-like divisions (only Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were larger and both were sub-divided into ridings or parts, respectively). Since 1974
6440-402: The Confessor by Lyfing's successor Bishop Leofric , hitherto Bishop of Crediton, who became first Bishop of Exeter under Edward the Confessor, which was established as his cathedral city in 1050. At first, the abbey church of St Mary and St Peter, founded by Athelstan in 932 and rebuilt in 1019, served as the cathedral. Devon came under the political influence of several different nobles during
6555-851: The Conservatives, and the political representation of its 60 councillors are: 38 Conservatives , 10 Liberal Democrats , six Labour , three Independents , two Green and one South Devon Alliance. At the 2024 general election , Devon returned six Liberal Democrats, four Conservatives and three Labour MPs to the House of Commons . Historically Devon was divided into 32 hundreds : Axminster , Bampton , Black Torrington , Braunton , Cliston , Coleridge , Colyton , Crediton , East Budleigh , Ermington , Exminster , Fremington , Halberton , Hartland , Hayridge , Haytor , Hemyock , Lifton , North Tawton and Winkleigh , Ottery , Plympton , Roborough , Shebbear , Shirwell , South Molton , Stanborough , Tavistock , Teignbridge , Tiverton , West Budleigh , Witheridge , and Wonford . A devolution deal
6670-402: The Country of this nation is at this day divided into two parts, knowen by later names of Cornwall and Denshire, [...] The term Devon is normally used for everyday purposes (e.g., "Devon County Council"), but Devonshire has continued to be used in the names of the " Devonshire and Dorset Regiment " (until 2007) and " The Devonshire Association ". One erroneous theory is that the shire suffix
6785-436: The Devon Flora by Ivimey-Cook appeared in 1984, and A New Flora of Devon , based on field work undertaken between 2005 and 2014, was published in 2016. Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially. In January 2024, plans were announced to plant over 100,000 trees in northern Devon to support Celtic rainforests , which are cherished yet at risk ecosystems in
6900-418: The Devon mainland. The metamorphic rocks of Eddystone are of presumed Precambrian age. The oldest rocks which can be dated are those of the Devonian period which are approximately 395–359 million years old. Sandstones and shales were deposited in North and South Devon beneath tropical seas. In shallower waters, limestone beds were laid down in the area now near Torquay and Plymouth. This geological period
7015-414: The English Civil War of 1642–46, when the county split apart along religious and cultural lines. The Methodism of John Wesley proved to be very popular with the working classes in Devon in the 19th century. Methodist chapels became important social centres, with male voice choirs and other church-affiliated groups playing a central role in the social lives of working class Devonians. Methodism still plays
SECTION 60
#17327805148627130-495: The MP was the Conservative Selaine Saxby . Since 2024 the MP has been the Liberal Democrat Ian Roome . Barnstaple is the largest town in North Devon. It lies 68 miles (109 km) west-south-west of Bristol , 50 miles (80 km) north of Plymouth and 34 miles (55 km) north-west of the county town and city of Exeter . It was founded at the lowest crossing point of the River Taw , where its estuary starts to widen, about 7 miles (11 km) inland from Barnstaple Bay in
7245-421: The Middle Ages, especially the Courtenays Earl of Devon . During the Wars of the Roses, important magnates included the Earl of Devon, William Bonville, 1st Baron Bonville , and Humphrey Stafford, earl of Devon whose wider influence stretched from Cornwall to Wiltshire. After 1485, one of the county's influential figures included Henry VII's courtier Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke . In 1549,
7360-425: The North Devon Link Road. Barnstaple is twinned with: Barnstaple has an eclectic mix of architectural styles, with the 19th century predominant, despite remnants of early buildings and several early plaster ceilings. St Anne's Chapel in the central churchyard can be seen as the most important ancient building to survive. Queen Anne's Walk was erected in about 1708 as a mercantile exchange. The Georgian Guildhall
7475-555: The Patron Saint of Devon. Devon's toponyms include many with the endings "coombe/combe" and "tor". Both 'coombe' (valley or hollow, cf. Welsh cwm , Cornish komm ) and 'tor' (Old Welsh twrr and Scots Gaelic tòrr from Latin turris ; 'tower' used for granite formations) are rare Celtic loanwords in English and their frequency is greatest in Devon which shares a boundary with historically Brittonic speaking Cornwall. Ruined medieval settlements of Dartmoor longhouses indicate that dispersed rural settlement (OE tun , now often -ton)
7590-416: The River Tamar as at present: until the late 19th century a few parishes in the Torpoint area were in Devon and five parishes now in north-east Cornwall were in Devon until 1974 (however, for ecclesiastical purposes these were nevertheless in the Archdeaconry of Cornwall and in 1876 became part of the Diocese of Truro ). The region of Devon was the dominion of the pre-Roman Dumnonii Celtic tribe , known as
7705-404: The River Tamar—-with a division almost exactly following the modern county boundary —but also between Devon and the rest of Southern England. Devon's population also exhibited similarities with modern northern France, including Brittany . This suggests the Anglo-Saxon migration into Devon was limited, rather than a mass movement of people. The border with Cornwall was set by King Æthelstan on
7820-425: The Teign Valley Museum), as well as one of the county's football teams, Plymouth Argyle . On 17 October 2006, the flag was hoisted for the first time outside County Hall in Exeter to mark Local Democracy Week, receiving official recognition from the county council. In 2019 Devon County Council with the support of both the Anglican and Catholic churches in Exeter and Plymouth, officially recognised Saint Boniface as
7935-530: The UK. The project aims to create 50 hectares of new rainforest across three sites, planting trees near existing rainforest areas along the coast and inland. Among the tree species to be planted is the rare Devon whitebeam , known for its unique reproduction method and once-popular fruit. Led by the National Trust and with the assistance of volunteers and community groups, the initiative will focus on locations in Exmoor , Woolacombe , Hartland , and Arlington Court . The administrative centre and capital of Devon
8050-410: The West, [...] was in antient time inhabited by those Britans whom Solinus called Dumnonii, Ptolomee Damnonii [...] For their habitation all over this Countrey is somewhat low and in valleys, which manner of dwelling is called in the British tongue Dan-munith, in which sense also the Province next adjoyning in like respect is at this day named by the Britans Duffneit, that is to say, Low valleys. [...] But
8165-402: The badge of the Devonshire Regiment . During the forming of a county council by the Local Government Act 1888 adoption of a common seal was required. The seal contained three shields depicting the arms of Exeter along with those of the first chairman and vice-chairman of the council ( Lord Clinton and the Earl of Morley ). On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from
8280-464: The best plaster ceilings in Devon. The merchants also built almshouses , including Penrose's , and backed their legacy with elaborate family monuments inside the church. By the 18th century, Barnstaple had ceased to be a woollen manufacturing town. Its output was replaced from Ireland, for which it was the main landing place; the raw materials were then taken by land to clothmaking towns in mid and east-Devon, such as Tiverton and Honiton . However,
8395-530: The boundary being an irregular line approximately across the higher part of Dartmoor and then along the canal eastwards. Botanical reports begin in the 17th century and there is a Flora Devoniensis by Jones and Kingston in 1829. A general account appeared in The Victoria History of the County of Devon (1906), and a Flora of Devon was published in 1939 by Keble Martin and Fraser. An Atlas of
8510-422: The castle without permission; by 1326 it was a ruin. Part of the castle walls blew down in a storm in 1601. The Neo-Gothic Manor of Tawstock , originally Tawstock House, is two miles south of Barnstaple. It replaced an earlier Tudor mansion, built in 1574 but lost to a fire in 1787. The Grade II listed St Anne's Chapel was restored in 2012 and is used as a community centre that can accommodate 60 people. It
8625-495: The city of Exeter (130,709) and the seaside resorts of Torquay and Paignton , which have a combined population of 115,410. They all are located along the south coast, which is the most populous part of the county; Barnstaple (31,275) and Tiverton (22,291) are the largest towns in the north and centre respectively. For local government purposes Devon comprises a non-metropolitan county , with eight districts, and two unitary authority areas: Plymouth and Torbay . Devon has
8740-437: The coat of arms, but following the loss in 1998 of Plymouth and Torbay re-adopted the coat of arms. In April 2006 the council unveiled a new logo which was to be used in most everyday applications, though the coat of arms will continue to be used for "various civic purposes". Devon also has its own flag which has been dedicated to Saint Petroc, a local saint with dedications throughout Devon and neighbouring counties. The flag
8855-573: The construction in 1855–1856 of a Pannier Market , originally known as the Vegetable Market and designed by local architect R. D. Gould. This has a high glass-and-timber roof on iron columns. At 107 yards (98 m) long, it runs the length of Butchers' Row. Market days are Monday – Crafts and General (April to December), Tuesday – General and Produce, Wednesday – Arts Collectables and Books, Thursday – Crafts and General, Friday – General and Produce, and Saturday – General and Produce. Built on
8970-421: The county has attractive rolling rural scenery and villages with thatched cob cottages. All these features make Devon a popular holiday destination. In South Devon the landscape consists of rolling hills dotted with small towns, such as Dartmouth , Ivybridge , Kingsbridge , Salcombe , and Totnes . The towns of Torquay and Paignton are the principal seaside resorts on the south coast. East Devon has
9085-592: The county is ranked fourth by area (due to the creation of Cumbria) amongst ceremonial counties and is the third largest non-metropolitan county . The island of Lundy and the reef of Eddystone are also in Devon. The county has more mileage of road than any other county in England. Inland, the Dartmoor National park lies wholly in Devon, and the Exmoor National Park lies in both Devon and Somerset. Apart from these areas of high moorland
9200-598: The diocese of Wessex, while nothing is known of the church organisation of the Celtic areas. About 703 Devon and Cornwall were included in the separate diocese of Sherborne and in 900 this was again divided into two, the Devon bishop having from 905 his seat at Tawton (now Bishop's Tawton ) and from 912 at Crediton , birthplace of St Boniface. Lyfing became Bishop of Crediton in 1027 and shortly afterwards became Bishop of Cornwall . The two dioceses of Crediton and Cornwall, covering Devon and Cornwall, were united under Edward
9315-501: The early 19th century. Between the 1930s and the 1950s the urban area grew to incorporate the villages of Pilton , Newport, and Roundswell through ribbon development . There are three tiers of local government covering Barnstaple, at parish (town), district and county level: Barnstaple Town Council, North Devon Council (based just outside Barnstaple) and Devon County Council (based in Exeter ). Barnstaple Town Council meets at
9430-568: The east around 600 AD, firstly as small bands of settlers along the coasts of Lyme Bay and southern estuaries and later as more organised bands pushing in from the east. Devon became a frontier between Brittonic and Anglo-Saxon Wessex, and it was largely absorbed into Wessex by the mid ninth century. A genetic study carried out by the University of Oxford & University College London discovered separate genetic groups in Cornwall and Devon. Not only were there differences on either side of
9545-641: The east bank of the River Tamar in 936 AD. Danish raids also occurred sporadically along many coastal parts of Devon between around 800AD and just before the time of the Norman conquest, including the silver mint at Hlidaforda Lydford in 997 and Taintona (a settlement on the Teign estuary) in 1001. Devon was the home of a number of anticlerical movements in the Later Middle Ages . For example,
9660-544: The easternmost parts of Devon. Smaller outcrops of younger rocks also exist, such as Cretaceous chalk cliffs at Beer Head and gravels on Haldon, plus Eocene and Oligocene ball clay and lignite deposits in the Bovey Basin, formed around 50 million years ago under tropical forest conditions. Devon generally has a cool oceanic climate, heavily influenced by the North Atlantic Drift . In winter, snow
9775-401: The far side of the street at the same time as the Pannier Market, Butchers' Row has ten shops with pilasters of Bath Stone and wrought-iron supports for an overhanging roof. Only one is still a butcher's, although successor shops still sell local farm goods. There is a baker, a delicatessen , two fishmongers , a florist and a greengrocer. In early 2020, the local Council web site provided
9890-632: The first seaside resort to be developed in the county, Exmouth and the more upmarket Georgian town of Sidmouth , headquarters of the East Devon District Council. Exmouth marks the western end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site . Another notable feature is the coastal railway line between Newton Abbot and the Exe Estuary: the red sandstone cliffs and sea views are very dramatic and in
10005-624: The flow of the river at the discharge point to reduce erosion of the surrounding rock and structures, such as the stone groyne, in place to stop Longshore drift at the site. [REDACTED] Media related to Dawlish Water at Wikimedia Commons. This Devon location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a river in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Devon Devon ( / ˈ d ɛ v ə n / DEV -ən ; historically also known as Devonshire /- ʃ ɪər , - ʃ ər / -sheer , -shər )
10120-483: The hands of Margaret Beaufort (died 1509), mother of King Henry VII . A market is first recorded in 1274. The town's wealth in the Middle Ages rested on being a staple port licensed to export wool. It had an early merchant guild of St Nicholas. In the early 14th century it was Devon's third richest town after Exeter and Plymouth, and its largest textile centre outside Exeter until about 1600. The wool trade
10235-581: The harbour was silting up. As early as c. 1630 Tristram Risdon reported, "It hardly beareth small vessels." Bideford, lower down the estuary and benefiting from the scouring by the fast-flowing River Torridge , gradually took over the trade. Although Barnstaple's trade in 1680–1730 was surpassed by Bideford 's, it retained economic importance into the early 20th century, manufacturing lace, gloves, sail-cloth and fishing-nets, with extensive potteries, tanneries, sawmills and foundries, and some shipbuilding still carried on. The Bear Street drill hall dates from
10350-581: The home of the Dumnonii Celtic Britons . The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the kingdom of Wessex in the eighth and ninth centuries, and the western boundary with Cornwall was set at the Tamar by king Æthelstan in 936. The name Devon derives from the name of the Brythons who inhabited the southwestern peninsula of Britain at
10465-598: The main centres of surfing in Britain. A geological dividing line cuts across Devon roughly along the line of the Bristol to Exeter line and the M5 motorway east of Tiverton and Exeter. It is a part of the Tees–Exe line broadly dividing Britain into a southeastern lowland zone typified by gently dipping sedimentary rocks and a northwestern upland zone typified by igneous rocks and folded sedimentary and metamorphic rocks . The principal geological components of Devon are i)
10580-616: The mid-fourth century AD, Christianity was introduced to Devon. In the Sub-Roman period the church in the British Isles was characterised by some differences in practice from the Latin Christianity of the continent of Europe and is known as Celtic Christianity ; however it was always in communion with the wider Roman Catholic Church . Many Cornish saints are commemorated also in Devon in legends, churches and place-names. Western Christianity came to Devon when it
10695-424: The new district of North Devon. A successor parish was created covering the area of the former borough, with its council taking the name Barnstaple Town Council. The Civic Centre passed to North Devon Council, whilst the town council was initially based at the Guildhall. In 1993 the town council acquired Barum House on The Square to serve as its offices, but continues to use the Guildhall for meetings. From 1295
10810-461: The old Roman walls of Exeter, are nearly always near the coast, as in those days travelling was done mainly by sea. The Devonian villages of Petrockstowe and Newton St Petroc are also named after Saint Petroc and the flag of Devon is dedicated to him. The history of Christianity in the South West of England remains to some degree obscure. Parts of the historic county of Devon formed part of
10925-499: The parish of Tawstock . The town council moved its offices to Castle House in the grounds of the castle in 1927, which in turn was replaced by a new Civic Centre on North Walk in 1969. The borough of Barnstaple was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , with the area merging with Barnstaple Rural District , South Molton Rural District and the urban districts of Ilfracombe and Lynton to become
11040-508: The parish of Barnstaple, were enlarged at the same time to include part of the parish of Pilton (including the village itself) and the Newport area from the parish of Bishop's Tawton . The borough was further enlarged in 1899 to take in the Rolle's Quay area from Pilton and an area on the west bank of the River Taw (including Barnstaple Junction railway station ) which had previously been in
11155-522: The resorts railway line and beaches are very near. North Devon is very rural with few major towns except Barnstaple , Great Torrington , Bideford and Ilfracombe . Devon's Exmoor coast has the highest cliffs in southern Britain, culminating in the Great Hangman , a 318 m (1,043 ft) "hog's-back" hill with a 250 m (820 ft) cliff-face, located near Combe Martin Bay. Its sister cliff
11270-579: The site has been used for the Barnstaple Western Bypass . The Ilfracombe branch line brought the railway across the river into the town centre. Barnstaple Quay was situated close by the Castle Mound. It closed in 1898 in favour of a nearby Barnstaple Town station at North Walk, which was also the terminus of the narrow-gauge Lynton and Barnstaple Railway , until that closed in 1935. The narrow-gauge line's main operating centre
11385-578: The stream has been measured in Dawlish since 2012, normal levels are between 0.12 metres (4.7 in) and 0.33 metres (1 ft 1 in). The maximum recorded level was 1.32 metres (4 ft 4 in) in November 2012. The mouth of the river was redesigned in the 2019-onwards works on the Dawlish Sea Wall. It has now been surrounded by a 2m high concrete wall, designed to concentrate
11500-571: The time of the Roman conquest of Britain known as the Dumnonii , thought to mean 'deep valley dwellers' from Proto-Celtic * dubnos 'deep'. In the Brittonic languages , Devon is known as Welsh : Dyfnaint , Breton : Devnent and Cornish : Dewnens , each meaning 'deep valleys'. (For an account of Celtic Dumnonia , see the separate article.) Among the most common Devon placenames
11615-599: The traditional orchard-visiting Wassail in Whimple every 17 January, and the carrying of flaming tar barrels in Ottery St. Mary , where people who have lived in Ottery for long enough are called upon to celebrate Bonfire Night by running through the village (and the gathered crowds) with flaming barrels on their backs. Berry Pomeroy still celebrates Queene's Day for Elizabeth I . Devon's total economic output in 2019
11730-689: The use of staple in that sense first appears in 1423. Barnstaple was formerly referred to as "Barum", as a contraction of the Latin form of the name ad Barnastapolitum in Latin documents such as the episcopal registers of the Diocese of Exeter . The spelling Barnstable was also used for the town but is now obsolete, although that spelling is retained in America by a town in Massachusetts and its county , which were named after Barnstaple. Barum
11845-523: Was 73 per cent of the UK national average. The level of work in the informal or casual sector is high, partly during seasonal tourism. By 2018 unemployment in North Devon had fallen from a 2010 high to 1.2 per cent, while median weekly full-time pay stood at £440 per week and average housing prices at £230,000. The number of businesses registered has risen by 370 since 2010 to 4,895. The year 2018 also saw government investment through Coastal Community grants and Housing Infrastructure funds £83 million to upgrade
11960-537: Was adopted in 2003 after a competition run by BBC Radio Devon . The winning design was created by website contributor Ryan Sealey, and won 49% of the votes cast. The colours of the flag are those popularly identified with Devon, for example, the colours of the University of Exeter , the rugby union team, and the Green and White flag flown by the first Viscount Exmouth at the Bombardment of Algiers (now on view at
12075-527: Was aided by its port, from which five ships were contributed to a force sent to fight the Spanish Armada in 1588. Barnstaple was one of the "privileged ports" of the Spanish Company , (established 1577), whose armorials appear on two mural monuments to 17th-century merchants: Richard Beaple (died 1643), three times Mayor, and Richard Ferris (Mayor in 1632), who with Alexander Horwood received
12190-705: Was an ancient Gothic chantry chapel , whose assets were acquired by the Mayor of Barnstaple and others in 1585, some time after the Dissolution of the Monasteries . A deed of feoffment dated 1 November 1585 exists in the George Grant Francis collection in Cardiff. Barnstaple has been the major market for North Devon since Saxon times. Demands for health regulation of its Victorian food market saw
12305-472: Was approved by both Devon County Council and Torbay Council to create a Combined County Authority with various powers such as transport, housing, skills, and support for business devolved from the UK Government. The main settlements in Devon are the cities of Plymouth, a historic port now administratively independent, Exeter, the county town , and Torbay , the county's tourist centre. Devon's coast
12420-560: Was at nearby Pilton . A separate Barnstaple station, renamed Barnstaple (Victoria Road) in 1949, was opened to the east of the town in 1873 as the terminus of the Devon and Somerset Railway and later part of the Great Western Railway . A junction was provided to allow trains access to Barnstaple Junction and these ran through to Ilfracombe. It was closed in 1970. There are selected primary and secondary state schools and
12535-451: Was built between Barnstaple and the M5 motorway , some 40 miles (65 km) to the east. Traffic congestion in the town was severe, but in May 2007, the Barnstaple Western Bypass was opened to take traffic towards Braunton and Ilfracombe away from the town centre and ancient bridge. It consists of 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of new road and a 447 yards (409 m) long, five-span bridge, and
12650-673: Was expected to have cost £42 million. The town's main square was remodelled as the entrance to the town centre, and The Strand was closed to traffic. The A39 , the Atlantic Highway, follows after the A361 to Bideford and to Bude and then further towards Cornwall. Most of Barnstaple's bus network is run by Stagecoach South West & Filers. The main bus station is at the junction of Queen Street and Belle Meadow Drive. National Express has coach services to London, Heathrow Airport, Taunton, Bristol and Birmingham. The nearest airport
12765-531: Was named after Devon by Roderick Murchison and Adam Sedgwick in the 1840s and is the only British county whose name is used worldwide as the basis for a geological time period. Devon's second major rock system is the Culm Measures, a geological formation of the Carboniferous period that occurs principally in Devon and Cornwall. The measures are so called either from the occasional presence of
12880-519: Was over a long period incorporated into the kingdom of Wessex and the jurisdiction of the bishop of Wessex. Saint Petroc is said to have passed through Devon, where ancient dedications to him are even more numerous than in Cornwall: a probable seventeen (plus Timberscombe just over the border in Somerset), compared to Cornwall's five. The position of churches bearing his name, including one within
12995-433: Was over £26 billion, larger than either Manchester, or Edinburgh. A 2021 report states that "health, retail and tourism account for 43.1% of employment. Agriculture, education, manufacturing, construction and real estate employment are also over-represented in Devon compared with nationally". Barnstaple Barnstaple ( / ˈ b ɑːr n s t ə b əl / or / ˈ b ɑːr n s t ə p əl / )
13110-456: Was therefore not recognised as such by the monarch, but was deemed to be merely a bailiff of the lord. The guild made several other unsuccessful attempts to secure a charter from the king throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including seeking confirmation of rights supposedly conferred by charters from Henry II and subsequent monarchs, but those charters were forgeries, copied from Exeter's charters. The town eventually secured
13225-546: Was very similar to that found in Cornish 'tre-' settlements, however these are generally described with the local placename -(a)cott , from the Old English for homestead, cf. cottage . Saxon endings in -worthy (from Anglo-Saxon worthig ) indicate larger settlements. Several 'Bere's indicate Anglo-Saxon wood groves, as 'leighs' indicate clearings. Devon has a variety of festivals and traditional practices, including
#861138